Molecular mechanisms and clinical application of Iguratimod: A review

Iguratimod (IGU) is a novel small-molecule anti-rheumatic drug with remarkable effectiveness and good safety for the treatment of active rheumatoid arthritis. Its mechanism of action is related to its ability to act simultaneously on T and B lymphocytes. IGU can effectively inhibit expression of various inflammatory factors, inhibit B cells from producing immunoglobulins and autoantibodies, downregulate T-cell-mediated cellular immunity, accelerate bone formation, and exert some activity against anti-pulmonary fibrosis. In recent years, IGU has been gradually applied to the treatment of a variety of rheumatic diseases, such as Sjögren's syndrome, ankylosing spondylitis and systemic lupus erythematosus. This article reviews the mechanism of action and clinical research status of IGU, and provides reference for future research on its mechanism of action and clinical application.